27:24:72S

153:13:02E

Final day dawned after a weary night trying to hold the boat steady with very little to navigate by, the bright moon obliterating the stars.  Soon cheered by the arrival of more dolphins, and Harry spotted whales…perhaps some pilot whales or even humpback as he did see a tail. Huge excitement and we wished we'd been under sail and able to give chase but they disappeared.  There's so much life in these waters compared to the rest of the Pacific, flocks of birds swooping over the sea and whirling over the boat.  By breakfast we had 50 miles to go and by lunchtime we spotted land ahead.  Yippeeeee. 

At first we thought we'd got our navigation seriously wrong as three pyramids rose on the horizon, the coast guard wasn't speaking Egyptian which was a relief.  Apparently these hills were the first land spied by Captain Cook as well. Amazing to think we had followed his route and visited the same anchorages all across the Pacific. 

Andrew was so excited he hadn't slept for days and was still in over drive. Then approaching the coast two huge Bottle Nose dolphins leapt around the boat saying three cheers and welcome.  They were really looking up at us as they splashed and jumped , I honestly believe they were welcoming us. 

You wouldn't believe that from arriving at the coast it took us another 6 hours to navigate up this complicated channel to Brisbane. By this time it was dark, we were all knackered and had to creep along this industrial river avoiding dredgers, tugs, cranes and weird shapes looming with flashing lights. 

The Customs officers were waiting for us on a bleak dock surrounded with a cage to quarantine us.  Fortunately they were two jolly women because we were in no mood for officialdom and they joined in our, what must have appeared, puerile humour. Then we toasted our arrival with whisky followed by steaks and red wine and became pretty comatose unable to work the music system or find our bunks.  

Still not allowed onto Australian soil…confined to our cage to await the Quarantine officer in the morning.  Slept like logs.

Caged up the next morning.